


WHAT GOES AROUND…

by Krafter2014



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Not Captain America Friendly, Not Steve Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-18 00:20:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19965625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krafter2014/pseuds/Krafter2014
Summary: What if someone actually took Captain America as a role-model and emulated him?





	WHAT GOES AROUND…

**Author's Note:**

> This was triggered by several comment threads and was going to be the new chapter in "Ficlits", but the muse kept prodding and it turned into a lot longer than the short scene I thought I was going to write.  
> If you haven't figured it out from the tags, this is really not Captain America friendly, don't like, don't read.

Tony Stark surveyed the battleground in front of him. There were surprisingly few dead bodies for the amount of destruction, and the emergency medical response crews were outnumbered by the reporters even if the firefighters weren't. The firefighters searching for victims simply looked determined but the law enforcement officers searching through the rubble for evidence were glaring at the ones responsible. Tony knew that while they did not like the victims of this attack and really disliked their organization, they hated that they and it had been attacked by outsiders, especially since that unauthorized attack had ruined the government's official plan to deal with them legally. Now they would be sympathized with by the public as victims. The senior LEO present was especially upset that so much of the evidence the LEOs had been counting on collecting was going up in flames and she was not looking forward to explaining the situation to those further up the chain of command. 

Absolutely no one, except the reporters, was happy with what happened, even the people who had caused it. They had thought to be honored for this attack, but, to their apparent surprise, they were definitely NOT. Being held here on site, subject to everyone else's disapproval, while safe and effective transport to jail was arranged, was not helping, of course. Tony could hear the arguments from where he was standing and wasn't surprised at all by the content. 

"You can't arrest us for this! These ***** were targeting innocent people, our people, attacking them and destroying their property. We are perfectly within our rights to protect our people!" was what the leader of their group was currently shouting.

"You have injured and killed people yourselves! You destroyed property that doesn't belong to you. You resisted arrest and injured LEOs doing so. You have no authority in this country and are even here illegally! There is no record of you using the proper channels to enter our country. One of you is wearing a uniform that displays your country's flag. You do realize this could be taken as an act of war?" the LEO in charge of them while waiting for acceptable transport had lost his patience long since.

The sound of an arriving aircraft drew Tony's attention away from the argument. He watched the vertical landing with a total lack of surprise at the insignia displayed. The officer standing beside Tony said "What are they doing here? We needed them hours ago, not now. They better have a really good reason for showing up after everything is over but the clean-up. By the way Dr.Stark, thank you so much for coming when you did, I know you didn't have to, since you are no longer officially on the Avengers."

"Not a problem, glad to help. I was in the neighborhood anyway with the celebration for the new power plant for the area. It's too bad the first major test is this, isn't it?" with a wave of his hand toward the chaos around them, Tony replied. "At least the hospital and jail don't have to worry about power outages like they had been." 

"True. Huh, they look furious, don't they? Wonder why." with a smirk, she was not a fan of the man leading the group toward where they stood.

"Tony Stark, why didn't you call us, we should have been the ones fighting here?!!! Why did we have to find out about this from the radio?!!!"

"You were called. You didn't answer." Tony's deadpan statement was not received well.

"I didn't recognize the number. You know I don't respond to people I don't know."

Tony's officer friend said "So you don't respond to legitimate law enforcement agencies asking for assistance? You don't have Caller ID? I know we used the official line to call you, several times in fact. Dr.Stark answered the first time we tried him after we got nothing from the team that we expected to be available to help. With his help, we managed, so why are you here now and all offended all over the place? For that matter, this incident has been in the news for hours, don't you pay attention to what is going on in the world? The radio is hardly the fastest or most efficient way to get news."

Tony watched as the group in front of him simply became more upset. He suspected the trip had consisted of the leader ranting on about the best hands being theirs and that Tony had taken on 'more than he could handle', denying the proof in front of him that he was wrong. 

"Those people should be punished. They shouldn't be here." ignoring what he didn't want hear, as was usual for him.

"They will be treated appropriately by our legal system. Again, why are you getting involved? You have nothing to do with this now the fighting is over with without any contribution by you. I'm sure you didn't come to help with the aftermath, you never have before as far as I can see." Several more LEOs were now backing up Tony and their commanding officer and many of them were nodding in agreement.

"We are the ones who should be in charge, we are the only ones capable of it."

"Really." There was no expression on her face as she said that. "We have everything handled, including the fight and the arrests, but we are not capable of doing our jobs? You are certainly full of yourselves, aren't you. You are not needed nor even wanted at this stage. Go away and stop distracting the people who are actually effective, unless you want to get your hands dirty and help clean up, which I doubt."

"That's not important or our job. We need to take over holding them." pointing at the prisoners.

"What?? What in the world are you talking about. As far as I know, you have no legal authority to hold prisoners, and if you did, nowhere to contain even unenhanced people, let alone Enhanced. What do you expect to do with them, kill them when they try to escape?" 

Tony could tell she was shocked at the arrogance displayed. He wasn't and was also not surprised by the faintly guilty look several faces sported as the question sank in, even though their leader puffed up and said "Tony will take care of that. It's what he's good at."

"So, Dr.Stark is the one you expect to do what you say you are the only ones capable of. Doesn't that mean HE is the capable one, not you lot?"

"Turn them over now!" showed that he still wasn't listening.

Tony decided he had better try to stop this now, since he could see both sides gearing up for a fight. "You need to go back home. You DON'T have the facilities to hold these people and even if I did create them, which I won't, it would take time. Unless you found some way to negate their powers and are willing to keep them restrained 24/7, you could not contain them. WE are only waiting for transport to take them to the local jail. Which, before you start voicing the objections I see coming, IS able to control them. The local government hired SI to create secure facilities for Enhanced beings after they started showing up in the area. With the new power plant in operation, those facilities are available for use."

"You are letting this government have control over Enhanced? They have an agenda like all governments. Just see what the World Security Council did when they were in control!"

Everyone clustered around Tony just gaped at the man spouting that. Tony almost face-palmed as he watched the reporters, who had scented a new story and were now included in the group, kept recording everything being said. He could see the headlines now and knew he would be blamed when they weren't complimentary to the "right" people. 

One of the reporters shouted out, "So, you don't think governments should have an agenda to protect their citizens? What is your agenda then, since everyone has one? Do you want to be the only one controlling Enhanced people?" From another reporter "Since when is the WSC a government? What legal authority did they have, unlike the governments acknowledged by the United Nations?" and the most damning; "Where were you when the fight was going on and why do you think you can be in charge now that it's over when Dr.Stark was the one to do the work supporting our police and he is now allowing them to do their jobs???"

The questions were coming fast and furious, but the woman beside Tony showed her authority when she quieted the crowd. "Your questions should be asked after we settle what is going to happen now. This is not the time."

She then faced the unwanted group in front of her, but was interrupted by shouting from the prisoners. "Hey, why aren't you releasing us, we just did what you do, we had a mission to fight the injustice done to our people!" "Yeah, we followed your example and did what you say is right!" and more.

Tony wondered if anything was getting through to the thick skulled man/team in front of him as she explained, "Unless you desperately want to be arrested yourselves, you will now leave, just as Dr.Stark told you to. You have no more legal right or authority to be involved in this situation than our prisoners. You will treated just like any other individuals who are interfering in a legal investigation of a crime scene if you continue on your present course. You have been warned." She turned her back on them and started walking away. 

Tony felt proud that she trusted him to protect her and her officers as most of the others moved away with her. The few staying beside him were obviously there just support him while the reporters moved closer, including the new arrivals representing national news services. 

"I don't understand, what did they mean, they followed my example?" was asked by the Man Without A Plan facing him.

Tony was sardonic as he explained "Well, when Captain America leads his team of Avengers into many 'not-America' countries, apparently without permission, wearing the American flag, and says it's to fight injustice and protect the innocent, other people take his example to heart. This team calls themselves the 'Protectors' and are led by 'Legate Latveria' who is an Enhanced matching you in strength and fighting ability from what I've seen. He's apparently ex-Latverian military and Captain America is his hero. He and his followers have been very verbal about everything they did since they don't believe they did anything wrong. He decided that he needed to oppose the injustice that he decided occurred when this hate group, created by HYDRA here in the USA, was accused of targeting Latverians. One of the targeted individuals is his cousin who told him nothing was being done about it. Legate Latveria dressed himself up in his country's colors, got a team of Enhanced together to address the problem he thought he saw, did no research on it, did not contact anyone in the government, came here without passport or permission, and attacked this property and the people on it. He and his team did not realize, or care when told afterwards, that local law enforcement was building a case with my assistance against the hate group and arrests were due to start tomorrow. That case has now been essentially destroyed by their actions with most of the required evidence going up in smoke behind us. Apparently, he also believes that he is the only one able to decide who can protect Latverians anywhere in the world. I'll be interested to find out what Victor thinks about that, since the Latverian government was kept in the know while the investigation continued. He was aware of and agreed with all everything being done, including timing." 

Tony ignored the "Who's Victor?" whispered by the Scarlet Witch and Falcon's response of "Dr.Doom, Latveria's ruler." as he continued "The Legate has also decided he can follow your example to decide who to attack and injure or kill without a mandate from any governmental authority. After all, if his hero can, so can he. Luckily, the only ones here to be injured or killed when they attacked here were the adult members of the group since uninvolved relatives including children had left to attend the county fair during the group's monthly meeting. The Protectors actually didn't cause as many injuries to innocent bystanders as you do on one of your missions. I've told you repeatedly that you needed to follow the procedures I set up before I left for mission preparation or to, at least, give a public explanation, one better than 'our hands are best/collateral damage happens', when you don't follow protocol and don't get permission. I explained again and again that you thinking you are a role model for 'truth and justice' in your own eyes doesn't make true everywhere and where it does, it might not be a good thing. This is the result."

Rogers continued to dismiss the inconvenient facts he didn't agree with as he said "They have no right to come here and hurt American citizens. We can take care of ourselves without outside interference. We are the best at what we do." 

One of the reporters wasn't as quiet as he thought when he muttered "Best at causing collateral damage, destruction and injuries, maybe."

"Take that back, we are not." Tony thought Rogers sounded like a child having a tantrum and expected the accusation of 'bully' to be made in the near future. Tony had realized over time and with experience, that Rogers used the description of 'bully' to refer to anyone who didn't in the end comply with Rogers' wishes. It didn't seem to matter whether they refused to follow his orders or just disagreed with him in whatever he said. Rogers had showed that he didn't like or trust anyone but his obedient followers. 

Tony watched as the cops around him moved the reporters away. He could see that while they were enjoying Rogers putting his foot in his mouth in front of the people who would plaster it all over the news, that they knew Tony would have more luck getting the Avengers away from their crime scene without them. 

"Steve, just leave, before you make everything worse. Natasha, you'll need to schedule a press conference immediately, let me know when it will be. I'll be there, if I can, to help mitigate the adverse publicity the Avengers are going to get from this. Steve, be quiet, you have showed that you are the worst kind of hypocrite possible on live national TV. You have probably almost single handedly destroyed the Avengers approval ratings if I know public relations at all. Anyway, unless you do plan to help with the aftermath clean-up, you also have nothing to do here now that the prisoners have been picked up and are being transported to jail. You were all so busy berating me and the Lieutenant that you didn't even notice what was going on. Such excellent situational awareness."

"I'm not a hypocrite." Said in the most unlikely combination of being self-righteous and sulky at the same time Tony had ever heard from an adult (including himself, now that he thought about it).

"You are, you just said Legate Latveria had no right to do exactly what you've been doing, with exactly the same rationale and justification when you've used when you've been questioned. Either you have the right to attack targets of your own designation for your own reasons outside your country while having its flag on your butt and so does he, OR he doesn't AND you don't either. You are not the ruler of the world and you don't make the rules, or are you now claiming you are and do?" looking at the rest of the team, Tony tiredly said "Get out, now. I'm not going to argue with a stone wall. Natasha, Sam, try to get through to him what happened here. I'll meet up with you as soon as I can, but I have to fulfill my obligations to SI. This disaster means I may have to re-think my contributions to the Avengers since any negative publicity will affect the company's business and I can't risk my employees' livelihoods like that. Steve, don't even think about complaining, remember, everything I do for the team is voluntary, and out of my own pocket, which is filled by profits from SI. Your behavior, since I left the team, has not endeared you to me, nor encouraged me to make anything about the team my priority. We will discuss this when I meet you later. If you keep trying to argue with me here, you will NOT like my decision. Goodbye." 

Tony turned away to walk back to where the lieutenant was still coordinating activities on the site. He could hear the whispered arguments as the team moved back toward the quinjet. He laughed to himself when he heard Natasha's demand that Steve and everyone else just get onboard and they'd "handle everything later". He knew she thought they would be able to "handle" him to "fix" what they thought was wrong, but he also knew they were going to be out of luck. He didn't know why this episode in particular was the last straw, when he had accepted/believed he deserved the treatment they'd given to him in the past, but it was. Maybe it was because there was no way Tony could think he was at fault for what happened. He thought he would also look into some of the more dubious missions Steve had some of the team going on. If they hadn't included Vision or Rhodey, maybe there was a reason. Tony was sure the team was not going to be happy now that they would be reaping the consequences of their own behavior.

**Author's Note:**

> I wondered what would happen if Captain America wasn't the one who ran a mission in a country not his own. This is the result.  
> I really tried to leave the big reveal to the last sentence, but couldn't with the way the story told itself.  
> I've been informed that the story may be a little confusing, so spoilers: The location is a small town in New York, USA, where a team of Latverian "heroes" have attacked a hate group, been stopped by local law enforcement with Tony Stark's assistance. The "heroes" have been arrested and restrained and clean-up has commenced. The Avengers are the ones arriving in an aircraft. Rogers is the one doing most of the talking on their end.


End file.
